US11571715B2 - Sequencing station - Google Patents

Sequencing station Download PDF

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Publication number
US11571715B2
US11571715B2 US16/315,860 US201616315860A US11571715B2 US 11571715 B2 US11571715 B2 US 11571715B2 US 201616315860 A US201616315860 A US 201616315860A US 11571715 B2 US11571715 B2 US 11571715B2
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Prior art keywords
items
work area
move
sequencing
sequencing station
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US16/315,860
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US20200179987A1 (en
Inventor
Ali Raja
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ABB Schweiz AG
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ABB Schweiz AG
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B07—SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS; SORTING
    • B07C—POSTAL SORTING; SORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES, OR BULK MATERIAL FIT TO BE SORTED PIECE-MEAL, e.g. BY PICKING
    • B07C5/00—Sorting according to a characteristic or feature of the articles or material being sorted, e.g. by control effected by devices which detect or measure such characteristic or feature; Sorting by manually actuated devices, e.g. switches
    • B07C5/36—Sorting apparatus characterised by the means used for distribution
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G1/00—Storing articles, individually or in orderly arrangement, in warehouses or magazines
    • B65G1/02—Storage devices
    • B65G1/04—Storage devices mechanical
    • B65G1/137—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
    • B65G1/1373—Storage devices mechanical with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed for fulfilling orders in warehouses
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G60/00—Simultaneously or alternatively stacking and de-stacking of articles

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to sequencing stations used to dispatch items in a specific order, eventually also arranged in specific groups.
  • sequencing stations may e.g. be part of a warehouse management system arranged to deliver parts to assembly workers putting together customer orders.
  • a typical conventional sequencer comprises a buffer in the form of a tower temporarily storing items, and a manipulator placing items into the buffer and picking items out of the buffer in a specific order.
  • Such manipulator typically comprises exclusively sliding kinematic pairs each allowing solely a linear movement between the respective elements, and consequently only has translational degrees of freedom (DOF), typically three DOF.
  • DOF translational degrees of freedom
  • a typical conventional restacking machine comprises a manipulator capable e.g. of re-ordering a plurality of plastic bins stacked on each other.
  • the reason for piling a plurality of bins on each other can e.g. be to save space on a conveyor.
  • a conventional sequencer does not manage a restacking task, and a conventional restacking machine does not manage a sequencing task. These two machines dedicated to specific tasks are expensive in purchase, and both expensive and inflexible in operation.
  • DE19940978A1 discloses a warehouse system not intended for sequencing but for automatically delivering goods from a storage by the means of industrial robots and conveyors.
  • One object of the invention is to provide an improved sequencing station which manages both sequencing and restacking tasks, and which is flexible in operation in being e.g. easy to relocate.
  • the invention is based on the realization that a robot with four degrees of freedom manages both sequencing and restacking tasks faster and with lower investment than conventional machines dedicated to specific tasks.
  • a sequencing station comprising: a buffer with a plurality of positions, each position being configured to receive an item, an industrial robot configured to place items to the positions and pick the items from the positions, and a transport device configured to move the items into and out of a work area of the robot.
  • the robot has at least four degrees of freedom.
  • At least one of the degrees of freedom is achieved by means of a rotational kinematic pair.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move a plurality of items into the work area in a first order, and to move the plurality of items out of the work area in a second order, the second order being different from the first order.
  • According to one embodiment of the invention further comprises a plurality of identical items.
  • the items are bins each of which contains at least one component.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move the items into the work area at least partially one by one, and to move the items out of the work area at least partially one by one.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move the items into the work area at least partially one by one, and to move the items out of the work area at least partially in groups.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move the items into the work area at least partially in groups, and to move the items out of the work area at least partially one by one.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move the items into the work area at least partially in groups, and to move the items out of the work area at least partially in groups.
  • At last one group comprises a plurality of items stacked on each other.
  • the sequencing station is configured to move a plurality of items into the work area in a first pile comprising a plurality of items stacked on each other in a first order, and to move the plurality of items out of the work area in a second pile comprising the plurality of items in a second order, the second order being different from the first order.
  • the robot has at least five, such as six degrees of freedom.
  • all of the degrees of freedom are achieved by means of rotational kinematic pairs.
  • FIG. 1 shows a sequencing station according to one embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 shows a sequencing station according to one embodiment of the invention.
  • a sequencing station 10 comprises a buffer 20 comprising a plurality of positions in the form of slots 30 . Each slot 30 is configured to receive a bin 40 .
  • the sequencing station 10 further comprises an industrial robot 50 with six DOFs achieved by the means of rotational kinematic pairs.
  • the robot 50 is configured to pick bins 40 from a first conveyor 60 moving the bins 40 into a work area 70 of the robot 50 in a first order, and to place the bins 40 into the slots 30 to temporarily store them.
  • the robot 50 is further configured to pick the bins 40 from the slots 30 , and place them on a second conveyor 80 in a second order, the second conveyor 80 moving the bins 40 out of the work area 70 in the second order.
  • first conveyor 60 and the second conveyor 80 thereby constitute a transport device configured to move items into and out of a work area 70 of the robot 50 .
  • the second order is typically different from the first order.
  • All the bins 40 can be identical with each other, and each of them may contain one or more components.
  • the first conveyor 60 is configured to move a group of bins 40 into the work area 70 of the robot 50 , the group of bins 40 forming a first pile 90 comprising a plurality of bins 40 stacked on each other in a first order.
  • the robot 50 is configured to pick the bins 40 from the first pile 90 , and to place them into the slots 30 to temporarily store them.
  • the robot 50 is further configured to pick the bins 40 from the slots 30 , and to stack them up on each other on the second conveyor 80 to form a second pile 100 comprising a plurality of bins 40 in a second order.
  • the second order is typically different from the first order.
  • the second pile 100 may consist of different bins 40 than the first pile 90 .
  • the second conveyor 80 is configured to move the group of bins 40 out of the work area 70 of the robot 50 .
  • bins 40 moved into the work area 70 of the robot 50 one by one are not necessarily moved out of the same one by one, but can be moved out in groups, such as in piles.
  • bins 40 moved into the work area 70 of the robot 50 in groups, such as in piles are not necessarily moved out of the same in groups, but can be moved out one by one.
  • Bins 40 moved into and out of the work area 70 of the robot 50 can constitute any combination of individual bins 40 and bin groups.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Warehouses Or Storage Devices (AREA)
  • Specific Conveyance Elements (AREA)
US16/315,860 2016-07-07 2016-07-07 Sequencing station Active 2038-01-31 US11571715B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
PCT/EP2016/066155 WO2018006966A1 (fr) 2016-07-07 2016-07-07 Station de séquençage

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20200179987A1 US20200179987A1 (en) 2020-06-11
US11571715B2 true US11571715B2 (en) 2023-02-07

Family

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US16/315,860 Active 2038-01-31 US11571715B2 (en) 2016-07-07 2016-07-07 Sequencing station

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US11571715B2 (fr)
EP (1) EP3481603B1 (fr)
CN (1) CN109311166A (fr)
WO (1) WO2018006966A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP3829981A4 (fr) * 2018-07-31 2022-05-04 Dematic Corp. Exécution automatisée de commande de niveau article
CN111672774B (zh) * 2020-07-30 2021-07-06 梅卡曼德（北京）机器人科技有限公司 一种货品分拣系统及分拣方法
CN113525989A (zh) * 2021-07-30 2021-10-22 上海阿觅尔智能科技有限公司 一种智能无人仓库

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DE19940978A1 (de) 1999-08-28 2001-03-01 Markus Elbs Automatische Verkaufseinrichtung
WO2007012099A1 (fr) 2005-07-29 2007-02-01 TGW Transportgeräte GmbH Procede et dispositif d'alimentation automatique d'un dispositif de distribution d'articles
US20070280814A1 (en) * 2006-05-17 2007-12-06 Axium Inc. System and method to build mixed pallet layers from full pallet layers
US20080181753A1 (en) 2007-01-25 2008-07-31 Bastian William A Three-dimensional automated pick module
US20110130868A1 (en) 2009-12-02 2011-06-02 Michael Baumann Method and device for automated commissioning of bundles
WO2012077018A1 (fr) 2010-12-10 2012-06-14 Pirelli & C. S.P.A. Procédé d'organisation d'un dispositif d'exposition
US20140135976A1 (en) 2012-11-14 2014-05-15 Auburn University Automated Item Sequencing in a High-Density Grid-Based Material Handling System
WO2015118171A1 (fr) 2014-02-10 2015-08-13 Ocado Innovation Limited Installation de stockage intermédiaire pour poste de préparation de commandes
US20150284192A1 (en) * 2012-11-06 2015-10-08 Semoconsult Gmbh Device and method for stacking and de-stacking goods carriers
WO2015189849A1 (fr) 2014-06-13 2015-12-17 Omer Einav Systèmes et procédés pour stockage et gestion modulaires
US20160039550A1 (en) 2014-08-05 2016-02-11 Premier Tech Technologies Ltee Apparatus and method for grouping and positioning items
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AU2003239355A1 (en) * 2002-05-07 2003-11-11 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Single pass sequencing assembly and method
US10916340B2 (en) * 2008-12-05 2021-02-09 Remedi Technology Holdings, Llc System and methodology for filling prescriptions
DE102010015414A1 (de) * 2010-04-19 2011-10-20 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Kommissionieranlage und Verfahren zum Kommissionieren von Packstücken
DE102011050437A1 (de) * 2011-05-17 2012-11-22 Swisslog Ag Verfahren zum Lagern und/oder Kommissionieren von Wareneinheiten
DE102011080812A1 (de) * 2011-08-11 2013-02-14 Krones Aktiengesellschaft Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Bildung von Lagen aus Artikeln, Stückgütern oder Gebinden
EP2826728B1 (fr) * 2013-07-17 2016-06-08 Dematic Systems GmbH Procédé d' exécution de commandes en préparant des unités de stockage dans une station de prélèvement
EP2826729A1 (fr) * 2013-07-17 2015-01-21 Dematic Accounting Services GmbH Procédé d 'exécution de commandes et de réapprovisionnement d'unités de stockage
EP2826730A1 (fr) * 2013-07-17 2015-01-21 Dematic Accounting Services GmbH Procédé d'exécution de commandes en préparant des unités de stockage dans une station de prélèvement
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CN204916841U (zh) * 2015-09-08 2015-12-30 深圳市欧正通讯设备有限公司 一种自动仓储系统装置
CN105328712B (zh) * 2015-11-10 2017-06-27 南宁邃丛赋语科技开发有限责任公司 一种多自由度工业机器操作臂机构
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DE19940978A1 (de) 1999-08-28 2001-03-01 Markus Elbs Automatische Verkaufseinrichtung
WO2007012099A1 (fr) 2005-07-29 2007-02-01 TGW Transportgeräte GmbH Procede et dispositif d'alimentation automatique d'un dispositif de distribution d'articles
US20070280814A1 (en) * 2006-05-17 2007-12-06 Axium Inc. System and method to build mixed pallet layers from full pallet layers
US20080181753A1 (en) 2007-01-25 2008-07-31 Bastian William A Three-dimensional automated pick module
US20110130868A1 (en) 2009-12-02 2011-06-02 Michael Baumann Method and device for automated commissioning of bundles
WO2012077018A1 (fr) 2010-12-10 2012-06-14 Pirelli & C. S.P.A. Procédé d'organisation d'un dispositif d'exposition
US20150284192A1 (en) * 2012-11-06 2015-10-08 Semoconsult Gmbh Device and method for stacking and de-stacking goods carriers
US20140135976A1 (en) 2012-11-14 2014-05-15 Auburn University Automated Item Sequencing in a High-Density Grid-Based Material Handling System
WO2015118171A1 (fr) 2014-02-10 2015-08-13 Ocado Innovation Limited Installation de stockage intermédiaire pour poste de préparation de commandes
US20160347545A1 (en) * 2014-02-10 2016-12-01 Ocado Innovation Limited Intermediate holding facility for picking station
WO2015189849A1 (fr) 2014-06-13 2015-12-17 Omer Einav Systèmes et procédés pour stockage et gestion modulaires
US20160039550A1 (en) 2014-08-05 2016-02-11 Premier Tech Technologies Ltee Apparatus and method for grouping and positioning items
US9751693B1 (en) * 2016-02-01 2017-09-05 Amazon Technologies, Inc. Automated shipment set item consolidation
US20180265297A1 (en) * 2016-02-12 2018-09-20 Hitachi, Ltd. Article Transportation System, Transportation Device, and Article Transportation Method

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International Search Report & Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority Application No. PCT/EP2016/066155 Completed: Mar. 10, 2017; dated Mar. 17, 2017 10 Pages.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2018006966A1 (fr) 2018-01-11
CN109311166A (zh) 2019-02-05
US20200179987A1 (en) 2020-06-11
EP3481603A1 (fr) 2019-05-15
EP3481603B1 (fr) 2024-04-17

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